"...he took his hands off the controls in a paroxysm of joy and shouted, 'Strap on your safety belt, Mrs. Gadshill! We're going to make a loop-the-loop!'"
—From Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor by John Cheever
A compilation of classic tales by great American writers performed by terrific actors, with a lineup including Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award winners, and PEN Award winners.
Amy Tan's
Rules of the Game
performed by Freda Foh Shen
A strict Chinese mother bedevils her chess prodigy daughter
Donald Barthelme's
Game
performed by David Strathairn
Playing cosmic chicken in a nuclear bunker
Eudora Welty's
Why I Live at the P.O.
performed by Stockard Channing
Hilarious story of an independent young woman striking out on her own
Edgar Allan Poe's
The Black Cat
performed by René Auberjonois
Terrifyingly delicious Poe's masterpiece
Joyce Carol Oates'
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
performed by Christine Baranski
Sly, creepy tale of a teenage girl's seduction by a dangerous drifter
John Sayles'
At the Anarchists' Convention
performed by Jerry Stiller
laugh-out-loud classic
Alice Walker's
Everyday Use
performed by Carmen de Lavallade
Siblings disagree about a precious piece of their family heritage
John Cheever's
Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor
performed by Malachy McCourt
A high-rise elevator operator is overwhelmed by his riders' holiday generosity
